The video of President Ronald Reagan's plane landing on the backstretch as the race was being run. And a post-race interview with the winner and president, followed by the teams having a chicken dinner with the nation's leader.

Of course, no one knew at the time that it would be Petty's last win of a glorious seven-championship, Hall of Fame career that lasted until 1992.

Almirola has heard those stories and has his own great memories of watching Petty race. He vividly remembers Petty's final race in 1992. It's the impact that Petty has on racers, and especially his employees at Richard Petty Motorsports, that makes winning for him in the iconic No. 43 car so special.

Not that Almirola, who won Sunday's rain-shortened Coke Zero 400, needed anything additional to make his first career Cup win special. But to have the No. 43 in victory lane was quite iconic considering the events of July 4, 1984.

"I vividly remember sitting on the couch watching that race at Atlanta and watching him run his last race and watching the reception that he got from the fans and the crowd and thinking how cool that was and how much he was going to be missed by the sport," Almirola said.

"But he didn't give up. From 1992 until today, he still comes to the racetrack pretty much every weekend."

Petty, who turned 77 on Wednesday, was at the track but went home Saturday after the race was postponed.

He missed an historic victory, one that marked the first win for the No. 43 car since April 1999 at Martinsville when John Andretti won driving for Petty. The last time the No. 43 won at Daytona? That Petty victory 30 years (and 2 days) ago.

"All the history behind the race-car and stuff, I'm very appreciative of that," Almirola said. "It's very cool that we won on this (historic) weekend. … That's really special.

"But I'm a little bit selfish and I'm more worried about the fact that I won my first Cup race. It's just so cool and I'm so grateful for the opportunity."

Almirola, 30, toiled in Cup for 125 races over the past seven years, showing potential but at times struggling to find his footing. A former Joe Gibbs Racing diversity driver (he is part-Cuban), Almirola has always had speed but hasn't been able to finish consistently strong.

Granted it was a rain-shortened race and a restrictor-plate win, but Almirola ran strong the entire day — "I don't think this was handed to us by any means," Almirola said — as he positioned himself as a driver RPM can build its program around.

"Thirty years ago is history," said Petty, who was not at the race. "Today is future. Today is the day.

"To win the race down there and win it for (sponsor) Air Force, the Fourth of July, the whole thing is just great. … Overall, it's just a great day for us."

It hasn't been an easy year for Petty, whose wife, Linda, died in March. The Petty family has persevered, and among them is Trent Owens, crew chief for Almirola and Petty's nephew.

"Obviously being a family member, it's a number that I grew up with," Owens said about the historical significance of the day. "I grew up watching (it).

"The King provided me work during the summers when I was in high school to learn the ins and outs of racing. … It feels like home to come back" and work there.

The team won a bidding war last December for Owens, an accomplished Nationwide crew chief. He has built on the foundation that Almirola laid over the past two-plus years.

"The 43 car is without a doubt the most famous car in our sport's history," Almirola said. "To have that opportunity to drive that race car has been rally special from the day that I stepped foot in it.

"All I wanted to do from the very first time I drove it was get it to victory lane. It took two-and-a-half years, I guess, but I finally did it."